Job 31

1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look with desire on a virgin?

I made a covenant with mine eyes; how then should I look upon a maid?

2 For what is the portion from God above, the inheritance from the Almighty on high?

For what would be the portion of God from above, and the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

3 I used to think that calamity is for unrighteous people, and that disaster is for doers of wickedness.

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 Does not God see my ways and count all my steps?

Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?

5 If I have walked with falsehood, if my foot has hurried to deceit,

If I have walked with vanity, and my foot hath hasted to deceit —

6 let me be weighed in an even balance so that God will know my integrity.

Let me be weighed in a just balance, that God may know mine integrity —

7 If my step has turned aside from the way, if my heart has gone after my eyes, if any spot has stuck to my hands,

If my step hath turned out of the way, and my heart walked after mine eyes, and if any spot hath cleaved to my hands;

8 then let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be uprooted.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 If my heart has been deceived by a woman, if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,

If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbour's door;

10 then let my wife grind grain for another, and let others bow down on her.

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11 For that would be a terrible crime; indeed, it would be a crime to be punished by judges.

For that were a heinous crime; yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

12 For that is a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn all my harvest to the root.

For it is a fire that consumeth unto destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13 If I ignored the plea for justice from my male or female servant when they argued with me,

If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me —

14 what then would I do when God rises up to accuse me? When he comes to judge me, how would I answer him?

What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when He remembereth, what shall I answer Him?

15 Did the one who made me in the womb not make them also? Did not the same one mold us all in the womb?

Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?

16 If I have withheld poor people from their desire, or if I have caused the eyes of the widow to grow dim from crying,

If I have withheld aught that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17 or if I have eaten my morsel alone and not allowed those without fathers to eat it also—

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof —

18 because from my youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided his mother, a widow, from my own mother's womb.

Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have been her guide from my mother's womb.

19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or if I have seen that a needy man had no clothing;

If I have seen any wanderer in want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

20 if his heart has not blessed me because he has not been warmed with the wool of my sheep,

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21 if I have lifted up my hand against fatherless people because I saw my support in the city gate, then bring charges against me!

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;

22 If I have done these things, then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from its joint.

Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23 For I dreaded destruction from God; because of his majesty, I was not able to do those things.

For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of His majesty I could do nothing.

24 If I have made gold my hope, and if I have said to fine gold, 'You are what I am confident in';

If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold: 'Thou art my confidence';

25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, because my hand had gotten many possessions, then bring charges against me!

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

26 If I have seen the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in its brightness,

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

27 and if my heart has been secretly attracted, so that my mouth has kissed my hand in worship of them—

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, and my mouth hath kissed my hand;

28 this also would be a crime to be punished by judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have lied to God that is above.

29 If I have rejoiced at the destruction of anyone who hated me or congratulated myself when disaster overtook him, then bring charges against me!

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or exulted when evil found him —

30 Indeed, I have not even allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.

Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse.

31 If the men of my tent have never said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with Job's food?'

If the men of my tent said not: 'Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?'

32 (even the foreigner has never had to stay in the city square, because I have always opened my doors to the traveler), and if that is not so, then bring charges against me!

The stranger did not lodge in the street; my doors I opened to the roadside.

33 If, like mankind, I have hidden my sins by hiding my guilt inside my tunic

If after the manner of men I covered my transgressions, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom —

34 (because I feared the great multitude, because the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside), then bring charges against me!

Because I feared the great multitude, and the most contemptible among families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door.

35 Oh, if only I had someone to hear me! See, here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me! If only I had the indictment that my opponent has written!

Oh that I had one to hear me! — Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me — and that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

36 Surely I would carry it openly on my shoulder; I would put it on like a crown.

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.

37 I would declare to him an accounting for my steps; as a confident prince I would go up to him.

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38 If my land ever cries out against me, and its furrows weep together,

If my land cry out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together;

39 if I have eaten its harvest without paying for it or have caused its owners to lose their lives,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the tillers thereof to be disappointed —

40 then let thorns grow instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are finished.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and noisome weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.